Catches Secrets Just Like Flies
by ForASecondThereWe'dWon
Summary: Peter keeps stumbling upon his classmates' secrets, while miraculously managing to keep his own.


**Author's Note:**

Based on the Tumblr prompt: **49\. "I'm a level 72 Rogue and if you tell anyone, I'll deny it and I will kill you."**

* * *

It's as though the universe can't quit reminding Peter how lucky he is to be Spider-Man. Not lucky to be climbing and swinging, but lucky to still have a secret identity after so many close calls where people almost found out about it.

Like, two weeks ago? He was still stuffing the Spidey suit away after a quick patrol during the lunch hour, stumbling distractedly through Midtown Tech's student parking lot, when the suit snagged on the zipper of his backpack and Peter halted. Right next to Flash's car, it turned out. Because, as Peter was tugging his suit free, he glanced sideways and noticed Flash staring up at him with horror from the driver's seat. Peter hadn't spotted the laptop perched on his knees until Flash snapped it shut. It was pretty suspicious behaviour; Flash normally held court in the cafeteria at this time of the day, recharging his extrovert personality to get him through the afternoon's classes. Actually, Peter almost never saw the guy alone...

Porn. Flash had to have been watching porn.

Peter did _not _want to know anything about that secret, only to keep his to himself―finally got the stupid backpack to close as Flash opened the door and stepped out. He'd left the laptop on the passenger seat, but Peter was not glancing lower than Flash's face, due to the conclusion he'd already come to. This was weird. Why was Flash looking at him with such pained determination? Oh man, was he going to start taunting Peter about his obvious prudishness, or worse, assume that Peter had been watching too, spying over Flash's shoulder, before Flash caught him standing there? He should probably just make a run for it.

"I'm a level 72 Rogue," Flash blurted out, his stare now disturbingly intense, "and if you tell anyone, I'll deny it and I will kill you."

He'd been gaming. Thank _Thor_. Peter sighed in massive relief. Of course, then he had to pretend to look nervous, as though Flash was seriously a physical threat to him. Hopefully the way he scurried back into the school looked like part of the act as well, instead of the flight of someone who needed to hide their superhero outfit a little better before next period.

Last week was worse. Worse in the sense of Peter being even more reckless with his secret. He seriously needs to find a more accessible spot to store his web-fluid than under a bank of lockers. Whenever he goes to retrieve it, Peter's thinking five steps ahead to when he's going to need to use this tool, not focused on the moment and the acute strangeness of lifting all those lockers with one hand.

At the last second, he did think to look back and forth down the hallway―which was when he spotted Betty _way_ too close. Incredibly, she hadn't become aware of him yet. She was staring at a piece of paper in her hands, folding and refolding it, as Peter eased the lockers back to the ground (don't pinch the fingers, don't pinch the fingers!) and snapped upright, crossing his arms to be extra-casual.

"Oh!" she said when she looked up.

He answered this with a breathy, awkward laugh that made no sense for the situation.

"This is..." Betty waved the refolded paper around a little. "I wasn't going to tell anyone about this," she admitted.

Peter had no clue what she was talking about. He stood there, digging his thumb into the crook of his elbow and smiling openly.

"About-about what?" he finally asked when she became absorbed in reading her note again. He had to speak because she wasn't leaving, meaning he couldn't get his web-fluid.

Betty sighed.

"I guess telling you wouldn't be the worst thing. Maybe you can give me some insight, as his best friend." She raised her eyebrows hopefully and Peter gave a twitchy sort of nod. "I've been rethinking the breakup―mine and Ned's―and I was going to put the note in his locker."

"That's... I mean, I'm sure he'd like to talk to you. About it," Peter answered stiltedly.

"I was still making up my mind," Betty hedged, posture stiff like he might spring at her and make a grab for the letter.

"Yeah, give it some thought. No harm in that."

"But you think... if I do approach Ned... he'd hear me out?"

"Sure!"

Betty smiled in relief.

"Thanks, Peter. Don't tell Ned, ok? I want to do this in my own time."

"Sounds good," he agreed, sweating bullets until she walked away and turned the corner.

Yesterday, though. That was the nearest miss he's ever had, in _any_ situation, since it was with MJ.

Peter's been getting used to her presence. It isn't that she hasn't always been around, it's just... she takes up more space now, and he's not completely sure that's an MJ thing, as opposed to it being a Peter thing. As in, he's suddenly started noticing her noticing him. Trying to study the change head-on is like watching an eclipse without eye protection―dumb and difficult and easy to time wrong.

The thing is, Peter's great (and terrible) with timing.

Anyway, yesterday, he had a big Spanish test, and before that, he was at his locker giving himself a pep talk. Sure, he practiced his conjugations and read over his notes a bunch of times, but the positive affirmation thing seemed worth a shot. All the, "you've got this" and the, "piece of cake" chanting was on purpose. Then, Peter must have zoned out because he started whispering, "Come on, Spider-Man."

Not just once. Like, over and over, speaking to his reflection in his magnetic locker mirror. When Peter realized he was doing it, he jumped a little and before he could glance around to see if anyone had heard him, he noticed another reflection in his mirror. MJ. She was watching him from the other side of the hallway.

Here's the absolutely fascinating part though: she wasn't meeting his eyes or (he's crazy, _crazy_ lucky) reading his lips to pick up the invocation of his alter ego. Actually, Peter wasn't sure exactly where she was looking, except that it was in his direction. He turned fast enough to determine MJ had to have been staring at his butt. The way her face went pink and then defensive (and then she strode abruptly down the hall away from him) pretty much confirmed it.

So Peter knows another secret now. Like Flash's and Betty's, it's a secret he doesn't need to be threatened or requested not to tell. This secret needs patience, maybe a few smiles to encourage it, but, given those conditions, he hopes things will turn out well. Because MJ's secret is him.


End file.
